Ink roller socket for printing machines



April 26, 1938. T. s. HANNAFORD INK ROLLER SOCKET FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 20, 1933 m a m 2 Z A 0\\ W a m N\ wk 7 Patented Apr. 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INK ROLLER SOCKET FOR PRINTING MACHINES Application December 20, 1933, Serial No. 703,264

5 Claims.

This invention relates to roller sockets for printing machines and has for its principal object the provision of improved mechanism of the character indicated.

A more particular object is to provide a roller socket assembly of a design and construction whereby a simple movement is all that is required to free the roller or relieve the same from pressure when not in operation, and the usual thumb nut or equivalent element is eliminated by the substitution of a locking mechanism of such type as to insure against the accidental falling or slipping of any parts thereof into adjacent portions of the machine.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a roller socket of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and efficient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, with parts broken away, of an embodiment of the invention, showing the device in operative position for rotatably supporting the shaft of an inking roller;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the socket in relieved or sprung position thereby freeing or releasing the shaft of the printing roller;

Figure 3 is a front elevational View as seen in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the locking arm as seen in the direction of the arrow 4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the device showing the locking mechanism preliminarily swung to a position where further angular movement of same in a counter-clockwise direction will completely free the cap of the socket to permit the withdrawal of the printing roller from the machine.

As shown in the drawing, the unit or assembly comprises a shank or plate 10 which is slotted as at H to receive a screw or other means (not shown) suitable for fastening same to a portion of a printing machine. The shank It! has a widened portion or head 12, having a semi-circular or concave recess I3, registering with a similar opposed recess M, in a cap or upper section l5 which is hingedly connected, as at iii, to the lower section or head 12. To the concave recessed surface l3 of the head 12, a half bushing i8 is secured, while to the cap [5 another half bushing I9 is secured. The upper surface of the cap I5 is formed with an arcuate recess 21 which is adapted to receive a cam element, hereinafter more fully described. The above-mentioned lower and upper sections l2, l5 respectively, it will be understood, form in conjunction a socket member l1 having an opening which receives the shaft or journal of a roller (not shown).

In order to lock or secure the two sections of the socket l1 together and in operative position to support the roller shaft mentioned above, and to free same when the roller is not in operation, a latch or locking means is provided. The said locking means comprises a link or member 22, rotatably mounted on a stud 23, threadedly engaged in the head l2 of the socket. As best shown in Figure 3, the head 12 is provided with a slot or groove 24 which is adapted toaccommodate the link 22, there being a slot 25 formed in the cap [5 which registers with the slot 24 in receiving the link 22, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The link 22 is threadedly engaged with a head 26 which latter is provided with trunnions 21, the said head 26 having a set screw 28 which serves to prevent the head from turning on the threaded portion of the link 22. The trunnions 21 are rotatably received in openings or holes 29, provided in end portions of a pair of plates 30, 3| which are joined by studs or screws 34, 35 and form a locking arm. The said end portions on the plates 38, 31 are recessed or shouldered to provide a pocket or slot 36 Which is adapted to accommodate the head 2% of the link 22.

By inspection of Figures 1 and 4, it will be observed that the plate 30 is provided with a handle 31, while the end portions of the plates 30, 3|, mentioned above, are flared or extended to form an arcuate shaped head or cam 38 which is received in the arcuate recess 2| of the cap 15 referred to above. By inspection and comparison of Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that when the handle 31 is swung to the right, as in Figure 1, the cam or eccentric 38 will be effective to bring the two half bushings l8, [9 together to operatively support the shaft of the roller (not shown). It will be understood that owing to the resilient nature of the material of which inking rollers are made, when the handle 31 is swung to the left, as shown in Figure 2, the said roller shaft will exert a pressure sufficient to thrust the cap 15 upwardly to the extent indicated in Figure 2. Further movement of the handle will initially cause the cap IE to be pressed downwardly by the cam 38, as shown in Figure 5, thereby permitting the handle 31 and the link 22 connecting it to the head l2 of the socket, to be moved completely away from the cap l5, for the purpose of lifting or swinging the latter out of engagement with the shaft of the roller.

The slot H which is provided in the shank II], it will be understood, permits the convenient introduction of a screw therethrough in order to fasten the entire roller socket unit 2| to the frame of the printing machine. In order to facilitate manipulation of the cap I5 when required, a handle 39, formed integrally therewith is provided. The cap may also have a stop as at 4|, in order to limit its angular movement in a clockwise direction.

The general function and manner of operation of the device has been in large measure indicated from the foregoing details, but will be more fully understood by the following brief explanation:

Assuming an ink roller shaft (not shown) is rotatably arranged in the Socket [1, in the position shown in Figure 1, and further assuming that a second socket of similar construction is secured to the printing machine at the other end of the shaft of the said roller, the printing roller may now function in the customary manner. When it is desired to free the shaft of the printing roller, as for example, when the machine is out of operation, the swinging of the lever or handle 31 into the angular position shown in Figure 2 will sufiice to permit the natural spring of the roller to raise the cap [5 as shown in the last mentioned figure, thereby relieving the roller of the normal operating pressure which, if maintained during such time as the printing machine remains idle, will tend to produce a flat on the comparatively soft or pliable composition material customarily covering the metallic core of the roller.

It will be noted that when the handle 31 is moved in a clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 2, the camv surface 38 on the end portion of the plates 30, 3 I as pointed out above, will move over the adjacent surface of the recess 2|, thus pressing down or biasing the latter into position to bring the half bushings together in order to form a socket (Figure 1) for operatively retaining the roller shaft (not shown). In this position, the cam surface 38, by its frictional or clamping engagement with the cap I5, is designed and adapted to prevent accidental disengagement of. the latch or locking means from the cap l5, thereby retaining the latter in operative position and secure against accidental opening until the handle 31 is again manipulated. The configuration of the cam surface 38 is preferably such as to provide a still further biasing or clamping pressure when moved in a clockwise di-- rection beyond the position shown in Figure 1. lhe fully closed or looking position of the lever 31 (Figure 1) it will be understood, may be adjusted or altered by means of the link 22, the threaded portion of which latter may enter the head to a variable extent, thereby bodily moving the cam surface 38 relatively to the cap I 5. When the said handle is moved in a counter-clockwise direction from the position shown in Figure 1 to the angular position shown in Figure 2, the cam surface 38 will still be effective to maintain the cap in the position shown in Figure 2. By reason of the feature last pointed out, the present device which has no loose elements, such as, the thumb nut of the locking mechanism commonly employed cannot become detached and drop into the operating mechanism, and it provides a simplified and efficient construction for performing the functions indicated.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a socket for sup-porting a shaft, separable sections hingedly secured together at one side thereof, means disposed at the other side to retain said sections in shaft enclosing relation and at varying degrees of separation with respect to each other to permit the shaft to be supported in a plurality of positions, said means comprising a link secured at one end to one section and an arm swingably secured to the other end of said link, and means operable by said arm and engageable with the other section to permit and limit the separation of said sections when said arm is swung in one direction and to clamp said sections together when said arm is swung in the other direction.

2. In a socket for supporting a shaft, separable sections hingedly secured together at one side thereof, means disposed at the other side to retain said sections in shaft enclosing relation and at varying degrees of separation with respect to each other to permit the shaft to be supported in a plurality of positions, said means comprising a link secured at one end to one section and an arm swingably secured to the other end of said link, means operable by said arm and engageable with the other section to permit and limit the separation of said sections when said arm is swung in one direction and to clamp said sections together when said arm is swung in the other direction, and means associated with said link to vary the operable effect of said last named means.

3. In a socket for supporting the shaft of a printing machine roller formed of substantially resilient material and normally under pressure when in operation, a pair of separable bearing sections hingedly secured together at one side, and means to releasably retain said sections together at the other side of the shaft to confine said shaft therebetween, said means including an arm secured to one section and being in operable engagement with the other section, said arm being mounted to swing in one direction to move said sections together into shaft confining position whereby the roller is disposed in its normally under pressure position, and to swing in the other direction to permit separation of said sections into another shaft enclosing position, to permit release of the normal pressure upon the roller whereby pressure strains upon the resilient material will be released.

4. In a socket for supporting a shaft in a plurality of positions, in combination, separable shaft receiving sections hingedly secured together at one side thereof, an arm having a circular portion on one end, the peripheral surface of which is adapted to engage one section, a link pivotally secured to the circular portion eccentric to the peripheral surface of said portion, and a curved seat formed on the section engaged by said portion to receive the same, whereby swinging of the arm into one position will clamp a shaft between the sections and swinging of the arm into another position will unclampthe shaft.

5. In a socket for supporting a shaft in a plurality of positions, in combination, separable shaft receiving sections hingedly secured together at one side thereof, an arm having a circular portion on one end, the peripheral surface of which is adapted to engage one section, a member pivotally secured to the circular portion of said arm eccentric to the peripheral surface thereof, a link. pivotally secured at one end to the other section and being adjustably secured to said member to permit variation in the distance between the connecting points of the link with the member and section respectively, and a curved seat formed on the section engaged by the circular portion of said arm to receive the same, whereby a shaft may be supported between the sections clamped between the same when the arm is swung in one direction and unclamped when the arm is swung in the other.

THOMAS S. HANNAFORD. 

